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Wednesday 12 December 2012

Tartiflette

Image: Wikipedia Commons. Attribution: Arnaud 25.

Remembering with pleasure the tasty tartiflette I enjoyed so much at the Exeter Christmas market, I decided to make my own today, and it fulfilled all my expectations: what a wonderfully warming dish for these chilly, frosty December days.

Recipe (3/4 portions)

Slice thinly 1.25kg waxy potatoes (red potatoes are good).

Boil in salted water until they soften (6 or 7 minutes?)

Drain and let them cool.

Fry 350gm smoked bacon lardons, several shallots (or slices of red onion) and a couple of crushed garlic cloves for 10 minutes or so. Deglaze the pan with white wine.

Layer in a gratin dish with the potatoes on top and cover with loads of double cream.

Season with salt and pepper.

Overlay with slices of Reblochon cheese (this may be the difficult bit, though this cheese is readily available in Waitrose. However, there are other suitable melty cheeses — check out the Internet).

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C. until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown (15-20 min.)

Eat and enjoy (with a green salad and/or with some charcuterie).

I defy you not to want more!

10 comments:

Vagabonde said...

You do make my mouth water – the tarte looks so yummy and your recipe as well. I think they sell Reblochon in a market here called Whole Food Market, but it is quite expensive. I’ll have to check on a substitute and give it a try. This is a great recipe for a cold winter night – I think the best accompaniment would be a white wine from Savoie, like Roussette de Marestel or Roussette de Bugey, but not too cold. If not available, a wine from Alsace, not too fruity but on the dry side might be as good.

The Solitary Walker said...

Yes, it is quite expensive — but worth it occasionally. After all the other ingredients are fairly cheap. Oh, that Roussette de Savoie — what a fabulous wine. I remember sampling it in Seysell: http://solitary-walker.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/photographic-portrait-of-seyssel.html

Dominic Rivron said...

Sounds good. Might even make it. I'll have to think of something to replace the bacon in it, though.

The Solitary Walker said...

Try mushrooms, Dominic — perfect.

George said...

I hope we will soon discover a new blog, "The Solitary Gourmand." The tartiflette looks magnificent!

Timecheck said...

Tempted by the recipe. I read all and enjoyed of your just completed trip, though too busy to comment individually. A mental filing for a trip in the future.

Ruth said...

Mmm, comfort food. Must try this with mushrooms. And with Vagabonde's wine rec. Wow, I'm salivating. I looked online for a substitute for Reblochon if I can't find it, and as I suspected, Raclette would be a good choice. But now even that is harder to find in Michigan. (We eat it regularly with our friends who have a Raclette "machine" if you know what that is: a broiler you set right on the table, with individual trays for piling bits of food then cheese on top and broil away.)

Glad you shared this, as for me in my travels and treks, food is important, not just to survive, but as a "destination."

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks George, Ralph and Ruth for your comments. I think Raclette would work fine, Ruth!

Phreerunner said...

Thanks for this. We tried it last night. Added a few sliced mushroom to the 'fry' and used Lincet Chaource cheese from Tesco, which worked fine. Very tasty with a green and tomato salad.

The Solitary Walker said...

Glad you liked it, Phreerunner!